Children who are naturally curious about sexual matters may be inclined to look online. The Internet provides a degree of anonymity, accessibility and affordability that make it particularly powerful as a medium for viewing sexual content. What they are likely to be confronted with is a barrage of information in which informed, educational messages are outnumbered by adult sexual entertainment and pornography.

When my boys were small, I thanked their teachers all of the time. But now, my older son is in Grade Eight. So how do I honour a teacher whom I barely know, in ways that are meaningful and somewhat personal? Here are five things I'll do for my son's teacher this year

More words were exchanged between us two just the day before. Trying to sort out the tangled web of emotions from the days prior. He, with a hoodie pulled over his face. Me, raw emotions and bundled nerves pleading for answers. Both of us feeling raw and exposed. On a road of good intentions, going nowhere fast.

I don't want my kids to think that violence, entitlement and disrespect are a regular part of sports. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they are a part of the experience and will help prepare them for what's ahead. But is that really what little league baseball is all about?

Kids often hear the phrases, "You can do anything you want to do or be anything you want to be." But it's just not true. In fact, this is exactly the kind of thinking that further entrenches them in unrealistic dreams that take them away from one of the important tasks of growing up.